Are You Home?
Last night was the final night of our neighborhood book club. We read Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar.
The Boy Scout and I had spent the entire 3 previous days putting the final touches on the house for the realtor. We were exhausted, to say the least, but looking forward to the chance to discuss the book. Ayad Akhtar has an incredible gift with the english language. Whether I loved the story or not, I could never deny that this person strings words together like a painter creating a masterpiece.
“The established majority takes its "we" image from a minority of its best and shapes a "they" image of the despised outsiders from a minority of their worst.”
― Homeland Elegies
― Homeland Elegies
“I’d observed a change in myself in those last few weeks before the election, a new, narcotic dependence on my phone, an aching that wasn’t even for the phone itself but for the daily clatter of outrage about Trump it delivered. I remember feeling—through that last fortnight before Election Day—a hunger to be haunted.”
― Homeland Elegies
― Homeland Elegies
I appreciate the book for giving me some insight on what it has been like for him to be a foreigner in his own land. I also appreciate how his parents, who were or are Pakistani, saw America from completely different sets of glasses. Dad saw almost no flaws until he ran up against the system, and mom never wanted to be here in the first place.
“Like both Mary’s parents—as I would later learn from Mary herself—my mother never found in the various bounties of her new country anything like sufficient compensation for the loss of what she’d left behind.”
― Homeland Elegies
― Homeland Elegies
Good book, really good, except I had trouble with the idea that it seemed to be a biography but it wasn't. I'm sure it's been done before but I had not read one written quite like this and, for some reason, it bugged me. I got caught up in what is and is not true. But there you go.....that's just me.
I was sad to be ending our club. My heart ached. But then someone said, "Why don't we try to fit just one more in?" Yes, let's do it. The last book in our neighborhood book club will be East of Eden by Steinbeck.
I will enjoy one last go at it.
I hope you start a book club in your new home. It will be great in the winter. Hot cocoa and a book with friends. That to me is a great day. I wish I could join your book club. Sure you don't prefer moving where it is sunny 300+ days a year? As Mr.Rogers would say, "Come on, won't you be my neighbor?" Golf heaven? Am I enticing you yet? :-)
ReplyDeleteYour book club sounds great. I miss ours here as well. Maybe September.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will be able to join a book club or start one in you new home.
I'm sorry your club is ending but glad you have one more time. Yes, books that try to be real and maybe aren't are frustrating!
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book.The thing is he shouldn't see himself a foreigner as we are, in a way, all foreigners somewhere. Our ancestors came to places like Canada, America, Australia etc.. , usually from Europe, ignored the natives or even worse, abused them, and the land was occupied by the new invaders.
ReplyDelete